Translation

The way gives birth, virtue rears, things give shape, power accomplishes.
Accordingly, everything respects the way and values virtue.
Respect of the way and value of virtue happens not by fate, but naturally.
Hence, of the way born, of virtue reared.
Of long duration, of giving birth.
Of well balanced, of malicious.
Of support, of overturning.
It gives birth yet claims not,
It acts yet relies on not,
It is the elder yet rules not.
This is called profound virtue.

road (way, principle; speak; think) give birth to (grow; existence; life) of, virtue (moral character; heart) raise domestic animals of, thing (matter; the outside world)  form (body; entity; appear) of, power (influence; momentum; circumstances) accomplish (become; result) of.

<gram.> is (correct,  <formal> this; that) use (take; so as to_and; as well as)   ten thousand (a very great number; myriad)  thing (matter; the outside world) no one (nothing; none; no; not; don’t)  no (not) senior (respect; venerate) road (way, principle; speak; think), and (but (not) / yet (not) expensive (precious; noble) virtue (moral character; heart).

road (way, principle; speak; think) of senior (respect; venerate), virtue (moral character; heart) of expensive (precious; noble), husband (man)  no one (nothing; none; no; not; don’t)of life (lot; destiny; order) and (but (not) / yet (not)  ordinary (normal; constant; often)  natural (free from affectation).

happening (reason; cause; on purpose; hence) road (way, principle; speak; think) give birth to (grow; existence; life) of, virtue (moral character; heart) raise domestic animals of.

older (develop_ long; of long duration; regularly; strong point) of give birth to (rear; raise; bring up; educate) of.

pavilion (kiosk> well balanced; in the middle; even) of  poison (kill with poison; malicious; cruel; fierce) of.

support (raise; keep; grow; foster)  of cover (overturn; upset) of.

give birth to (grow; existence; life) and (but (not) / yet (not) no (not) have (exist),

do (act; act as; serve as; be; mean) and (but (not) / yet (not) no (not) rely on ( depend on).

older (develop_ long; of long duration; regularly; strong point) and (but (not) / yet (not) no (not) slaughter (butcher; govern; rule).

<gram.> is (correct,  <formal> this; that) say (call; name; meaning; sense)  black (dark; profound) virtue (moral character; heart).

Original

道生之，
德畜之，
物形之，
势成之。
是以万物
莫不尊道，
而贵德。
道之尊，
德之贵，
夫莫之命
而常自然。
故道生之，
德畜之。
长之育之。
亭之毒之。
养之覆之。
生而不有，
为而不恃，
长而不宰。
是谓玄德。

Commentary, August 2010

This chapter really exposes (albeit subtly) the fiction that society fosters. Clearly the world goes around not because this is decreed by an authority but because it is natural. Notice I left out ‘treated’ in that quote, only because this chapter essentially corresponds to Hesitant, he does not utter words lightly. When his task is accomplished and his work done The people all say, ‘It happened to us naturally.’

I suppose I take it even further, for in my view, no one is responsible for what happens, either good or bad. Reality is, rather, of the way born, of virtue reared. Of long duration, of giving birth. Of well balanced, of malicious. Of support, of overturning. Humans, being social hierarchical animals, take credit (or dish out blame) for what is actually quite naturally so. The Bhagavad Gita puts it well: “All actions take place in time by the interweaving of the forces of Nature; but the man lost in selfish delusion thinks that he himself is the actor”.

When, in the 60’s, I’d hear people blaming leaders (generals, corporations, etc.) for the world’s ills, I’d always respond with the view that there would be no leaders without willing followers. Followers are the ‘horse’ that draws the ‘leaders’ cart. That is the nature of a social species, we are simply driven to rule and be ruled. Because we are so innately tribal in nature, I suppose this will always remain something of a well kept secret.

This chapter served as a core model for raising my kids. That meant, my main service would be to not get in the way. Rather, allow virtue, things and power (or as D.C. Lao puts it, Circumstances) to play themselves out naturally. I wanted them to be able to say, ‘It happened to us naturally.‘ So far it has proven to be a successful experiment. It has outdone my initial expectations in fact, as any true experiment should, I suppose. Still, they are only in their early 20’s so the experiment is still on. To be honest, I was mature enough by the time I had kids (40+) that I was able to raise them in the ‘taoist way’. This would have been impossible to do if I had been a parent in my youth.